God's Demise
by FiddlingCrispo
Summary: Bishop Frau confronts Chief of Staff Ayanami in the chapel; the all time feud sparkles a bloody fight and both end up blood-soaked and terribly wounded. Teito/Frau and Hyuuga/Ayanami fluff, Frau/Ayanami grudges


**Summary: **

In Kapitel 46(manga), the showdown was arranged between Bishop Labrador and a dressed up 'Bishop' Ayanami, whereas in my fic it was the alarmed Bishop Frau who returned to the church and triggered a fight.

The Frau/Ayanami(Zehel/Verloren) feud finally explode; both ended up injured and weakened, but 'Bishop' Ayanami was much, much worse due to a horrifying boo-boo that he or his ever smirking Major had (unintentionally)committed...?

**Pairing: **Frau/Ayanami aka Zehel/Verloren (grudges) centric, plus Labrador/Frau, Frau/Teito and Hyuuga/Ayanami (fluff)

**Characters: **Frau, Labrador, Teito Klein, Ayanami, Hyuuga

**Disclaimer: **All rights go to Yuki Amemiya and Yukino Ichihara; I own nothing of it.

**Acknowledgement: **

All settings, scenarios and conversations are either fictitious or _adapted_ from Kapitel 46 the manga and do not equal the canon.

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**God's Demise**

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**Prologue**

The Church of Barsburg itself could be deemed the vastest edifice within the entire 7th District. Apart from its arched portal, its flanked multi-storied body and splendid soaring campaniles, it also owned seven additional chapels that stood guard around the building's circular outskirt, each of which took the shape of a handsome spire and was carved in the finest white marble.

Taking a bird's eye view, these seven chapels could be observed glittering like seven volumes of solid light, and their radiation seemed to intersect and lengthen sideways towards one another, ending up in a sublime heptagram icon that bore a mighty resemblance to some sort of ancient, arcane emblem that mapped across the entire churchyard.

Everyone residing within the attached cloister shared a blissful secret about these legendary seven chapels. It was believed that whenever the cathedral was threatened with unholy intruders, one or two or more of the seven chapels would manifest the corresponding member or members of the Seven Ghosts to charge at the trespassers and purge the whole place.

Therefore, the life-sized sculptures of the Seven Ghosts, which were housed independently within the chapels, had become something of a resort and additional worship place to the local churchgoers.

*******

'Goodness, Sister, that's some nasty weather outside. I do wish the blizzard could cease a bit.'

'Indeed! The storm has kept our poor lambs home. They can't come to pray for their families.'

'Fair point. But that's not among my main concerns for the present. For me I sensed there's some heinous omen about this storm. I fear that some untellable trauma might strike our sanctuary.'

'Then that's no good! I wish Bishop Frau would be here. As long as he's patrolling our ground nothing can really trouble us.'

'Fat chance, Sister. That Frau bloke is away on an expedition with his babysitee, isn't he?'

'With the young and promising apprentice Teido Klein, you mean.'

'Oh, bet it's pronounced like that. Anyway, our naughty defender isn't available at present, so don't expect the impossible. That dude isn't coming back unless _his_ _little boy _approves of it in the first place.'

The babbling conversation died away as the pair of nun and friar strolled across the churchyard and disappeared into the opposite aisle. At their wake, a figure stepped out quietly from behind a marble pillar, remained motionless for several seconds, then turned on his heels and hurried out of sight.

As he marched, the hem of his saggy white surplice floated about in a gentle, sensuous fashion as if brushed by breezes; and as the stranger turned round a corner it flapped up a few more inches above his ankles, exposing the pair of jet black boots which looked downright different from that of any other identified clergyman's.

The military boots.

Meanwhile, in a flank corridor, Bishop Frau had just jumped in through the high mullioned windows and landed onto the floor with catlike grace. He had just made a hurried return(having assured an anxious Teito that he would be back to his side within two hours) to the church and was still in his dark travelling cloak.

With his or Zehel's supernatural intuitions, he had detected the track of an unnerving intruder. If it was a common Kor or something parallel to its level, Frau was pretty confident that Castor or Labrador could finish for him the task of purging without causing the slightest havoc.

However, the case at hand was totally different, for Frau could tell by the somewhat beckoning, toxicant aura that this intruder was aiming at _him, _and that if he didn't show up as expected, the intruder would then round on the church, and then on the brown-haired emerald-eyed boy he had vowed to protect.

And that would be entirely out of the question as long as he, Frau or Zehel, existed.

The instant the blonde bishop darted towards the nearest carrefour, an overwhelming, burning agony shot through his wrist and he almost toppled forward. Verloren's scythe had started vibrating again and was fighting to get itself unleashed.

Through the hammering footsteps of its unnerved possessor, the weapon could deduce that there was a conflict within its reach, waiting to break out.

And wherever there was a potential combat, there was the greedy scythe bursting to slash the soul of whoever that fell to within inches of its dazzling blade.

Bishop Frau, however, did not pause to suppress the scythe's vigorous awaking. He simply couldn't because he was too engrossed in locating the exact position of his rival. When he had made it out and began to dash in the right direction- that of one of the seven chapels- he didn't even get around to disentangling himself from the scythe's angry threads now weaving frantically across his arm and torso.

Three corridors to go, two corridors to go, one set of stairs to go, the passage.

And finally the breathless bishop found himself at the entrance of a particular chapel. A chapel he was used to associating himself with and a chapel he hadn't really bothered to pay a decent visit to.

The chapel of Zehel.

And Frau knew it was the right place; furthermore, he knew who the intruder was the moment he set foot in the small interior.

He was not the sole visitor here. Feet ahead of him and beneath the shadow of the enormous sculpture of the Cutting Spirit stood a second person, an apparent bishop, clad in pure white from head to foot.

_White does not suit you. _Frau mused, sensing the eddying aura amplifying almost aggressively within the space.

It was the same aura like thousands of years before, the unique aura that tasted of infected souls and compressing darkness, powerful, toxicant and dangerously alluring.

_So he's now fully aware of his true identity. Finally this is some progress._

As though confirming its holder's fears, the scythe unleashed more angry threads and they snaked threateningly around Frau's shoulders; meanwhile the curling blade sprung into being and positioned itself towards its holder's throat.

Aroused by that menacing aura, the weapon had finally gone out of control.

Cursing under his breath, Frau caught the scythe by the handle and wrestled it into a turnaround. It capitulated, but produced a protesting vibration and banged Frau's shoulder with manners of an untamed beast.

'You cannot really manipulate that scythe, Zehel.' the white figure said quietly, stepping out of the shadow and facing his pursuer. 'You know why it is so. And I know as well.'

All blood seemed to rush into Frau's head. His fingers clawed angrily at the scythe's top handle. _Steady yourself and don't flame, Zehel._

'That really is a depressing salute, "Bishop" Ayanami.'

The Chief of Staff smiled under the veil of his white shawl.

'That's my etiquette of greeting the _insolent_, Zehel.'

Frau exhaled a snort. Although the Imperial Army's Chief of Staff appeared far from bloody minded for the present, the accumulating, sinister aura about him still served as a total giveaway of his inmost malice. _He wants God's altar ravaged._

In any case, Frau wasn't going to while his time putting up an amiable facade and talking with the person who sneaked into the holy ground pretending to be a pious fellow clergyman.

Furthermore, this was no common person. This was the one who killed Teito's friend Mikage, the one who wanted to finish off Teito right along and the one who wanted God and Justice mutilated.

'I won't let you slip again, Verloren.' snapped Frau, 'You'll have to relinquish all your evil plans and go accept your doom. Besides, Teito isn't _here_. Even if you had the power to turn over the whole church, you couldn't obtain what you desire.'

The thin line of Ayanami's lips formed something of a vain sneer. 'I'm not here for the capture of Teito Klein.' he sounded even quieter now, the kind of quiet that was as constricting as stuffy noises, 'I'm here to pray for my scythe, and also for your soul, Zehel. All six of you are to perish under my blessings. Vertrag has already seen to that, hasn't he-'

Frau didn't await Ayanami to finish. With a searing whoosh the scythe lunged forward like a ravenous alligator. Almost simultaneously, the Chief of Staff raised his right hand and launched a snarling ebony zaiphon at the advancing blade.

The two collided in mid air, the zaiphon exploding into wisps of violet smoke while the scythe's blazing steel thrusting sideways under the force of the crash.

Gathering himself to back away a few steps, Ayanami looked down and found through his slashed glove a deep gash on the back of his hand.

The defence was underacted. _His_ scythe had managed to strike home.

_Ouch! what the hell are you doing, Aya-tan? Who are you dealing with? Who cut you?_

As blood began to stream through the Chief of Staff's fingers, a yelp that was definitely not his own assaulted his brain, momentarily blocking out all his thoughts and emotions.

He had forgotten that part of his soul was still tied with that of his bespectacled Major, who was somewhere near the outskirts awaiting his further instructions.

_For heaven's sake Aya-tan, just because you're a lefty it doesn't have to mean you're free to injure your or my right hand like that!_

Ayanami ignored the pitiful nonsense; communicating with Hyuuga while dealing with Zehel the Cutting Spirit, the sheer idea would have made the Chief of Staff gasp about his own mentality. Instead he caught the scythe hilt with his bleeding hand(Hyuuga's painful yelp again stuffed into his head) and gave it a forceful squeeze, feeling his bloodstained dark power squelched with the contact and permeated the splendid metal._ That will do; the weapon will awake and fall for its true master._

Ayanami barely finished before Frau suddenly snatched the scythe away. The alarmed Ghost had a vague feeling that if he were to win this combat, he ought to keep himself completely in charge of the scythe.

Apparently, Ayanami was aware of it too.

And it looked like Ayanami had been plotting to do something to that scythe; to fuddle it and to remaster it.

Enraged, Frau glared at his silver-haired opponent and was about to plunge again when the scythe quivered in violent protests and more tangling threads sprung out through the handle, trying to pry his fingers off it.

Frau stared incredulously at the scythe now dislodging its handle from his grasp and turning its 'head'-the unfriendly blade- not towards him, but towards Ayanami. It couldn't have been clearer that the savage sickle was covertly weighing Ayanami's abilities; _it had recognised its old master, but remained skeptical about him._

Up to that point Ayanami merely managed to unseal part of Verloren's power. Therefore, Ayanami was a weakened Verloren.

And a weakened master looked unworthy of the scythe's devoted loyalty.

_Contrastingly, the blonde dude seems tougher, and closer._

Ayanami pretended not to have sensed the scythe's rebellious omen; he was looking at Frau. Their eyes bored into each other's, amethyst into cerulean, iciness into delirium.

The Chief of Staff wished he could penetrate the bishop's mind. _I've ordered the scythe to strike him; why does it disobey me? Is it possible that this Cutting Spirit could also rein my scythe as skilfully as I once did? Could his mastery overshadow mine?_

_Aya-tan, why are you not answering me? Are you feeling all right? Still alive?_

The Chief of Staff was again ruffled out of his reverie. His Major had chosen a most indecent moment to contact him, and yet he was not genuinely irritated. After all, he had no reason to shun his inquirer for a second time now that the battle had clicked to a deadlock. As to his secret frets, perhaps he could cope with them later.

_I'm perfectly all right._ _You stay where you are and be quiet. _

_Aya-tan, are you still confronting a piece of yours? Is it Zehel? How's the progress? I want to help. Tell me where you are, Aya-tan, pleeeease._

_This is between Zehel and me. I alone can manage everything. I don't want you involved. Just stay put. I'll be back as soon as I can. _

For Frau, it was firstly a perplexing sight that Ayanami stopped piercing him with his cold eyes and inclined his head with knitted brows as if lost in thoughts. Then something at the back of his mind seemed to registered the possibility and urged him on. _Ayanami is distracted and no longer with him; this is the perfect moment to raid._

Quietly and tentatively, the bishop stretched out his bounded hand to clutch the icy handle of the scythe, which, to his utter amazement, did not reject him. _So it hasn't betrayed him completely. _

Then the bishop launched the glaring blade.

Ayanami could not believe it. By instinct he drove himself out of harm's way, though the thrash missed him by inches and sent his cap flying off his head. He sprung around, triggering bombs of zaiphon at the blonde Ghost he now hated above anything else.

The one who dared brainwash and manipulate Verloren's scythe before _his_ very eyes!

The zaiphon soared downwards and blasted around Frau. The blonde bishop slipped out of the tempest of smoke and debris, located the advancing white figure and resorted to aiming the scythe at it. The explosion had evidently alerted the entire church. He had to finish right here.

Ayanami was only feet away; his face looked perfectly nonchalant, his lips still formed in a quiet, calculating smile, and yet there was an evil reddish glow in his shadowy eyes that looked horribly like the spark of infernal fire. The ghost of the demented Verloren seemed to be screeching from the depth of it.

A crackling, wars-tainted zaiphon was twiddling around his left hand as the Chief of Staff flashed towards the bishop with speed of a teleportation. It was impossible to duck.

_Crash._

The power of the collision sent the chapel floor shaking for several seconds, and then quite abruptly, everything seemed to cease forthwith. Coughing and gasping, Frau opened his eyes and found his lapel covered in blood and his body remained in a semi-standing posture, his limbs numb and bound with untellable force, the many threads of the scythe still entangled his torso, and, most flabbergastingly, Ayanami's body slumped against his, his forehead pressed into his shoulder, and the scythe sandwiched between them.

Even as the blonde bishop looked down at him, the Chief of Staff 's knees seemed to have buckled and he sank limply to his feet, leaving a long trace of blood on his enemy's garment; the scythe fell clanking onto the floor, and then everything went quiet as if nothing had ever happened.

Fearing that this was again some vicious trick from the foxy Chief of Staff, Frau picked up the scythe and made to step away. However, his head seemed stuffed with a mug of slime and all threads of thoughts went oddly tussled, strangled.

His intention was to pace backward, whereas his body became appallingly unstable and he had to lean on the scythe to keep himself from keeling over. Looking down, the alarmed bishop caught tracts of black tint oozing slowly from his hands, and he hastily stifled a gasp.

Ayanami's last attack had lodged a wars deep inside him. His soul was going to be eroded.

Beside him, the Chief of Staff had recollected himself a bit and was staggering to his feet. The scythe had left a deep gash across his shoulder and chest, and he could see the front of his pure white cassock drenched in deep crimson blood.

Apart from all the pain and dizziness, it was a repulsive sight for Ayanami's person or his conceit._ It was the first time he'd ended up so disordered. _

But on the other hand, Zehel's condition was no better now that his soul was pinned by dark magic. It could have been a blissful moment to toy with the Ghost's soul before destroying it completely, though the Chief of Staff had no more strength for it since he'd lost so much blood. _Perhaps it was the moment to evacuate_.

Hitherto Bishop Frau had been anxiously observing. As Ayanami finally picked himself up and confronted his blonde foe with a penetrating eye, the bishop registered all the bloody damages he'd managed to inflict on the Chief of Staff and, despite everything, he felt a savage pleasure about it.

'This is what you deserve, Verloren,' Frau said despite the jagging agony he was enduring, 'body wounds can be troublesome for a certain Reaper that can only stick to its human form.'

Ayanami looked as if he wanted to say something back, but at that moment they both heard muffled noises outside the chapel. The explosions seemed to have evoked more than enough commotions. They would soon lose their preferred privacies.

Instead of retorting, Ayanami edged unsteadily to Frau's side. Frau thought he might wrest the scythe and with all his might clutched it tight, but Ayanami merely reached out and laid a bloody hand on its curve, which was also coated with his blood.

'One day, you will have to...give yourself back to me.'

And then without so much as glancing at the wars-jailed bishop, the Chief of Staff staggered past him, made his way towards the striped windowsill and vanished.

*******

**Aftermath**

**Scene I**

Labrador(startled): Frau! How come you're here! A warsfeil has tainted this place, no? And you're soaked with blood! Have you bled that badly?

Frau(jaw clenching): Damn no. It was the bloody Chief of Staff. Seems that he's remembered he is Verloren and he had sneaked into the church trying to do me in.

Labrador(worried puppy eyes): If only we were here to aid! Hold on, there's trace of wars around you. Is it also he's doing?

Frau: Definitely.

Labrador(scrutinising): Parts of your soul are quickly fading away. I hope this will help.(applying vines of flowers to Frau's side) God, this is really tricky. I've never dealt with a wars like this one before.

Frau: Ayanami hid it in a zaiphon and sank it into me. Bet it's not that easy to overcome.

Labrador: I can only prevent you sinking lower, but if I try more complicated prescriptions-

Frau: Lab, that will do. I'm on a tight schedule. I should be with Teito by now.

Labrador(blinking confusedly): With Teito-kun? You two had a rendezvous?

Frau: Sort of. So if my case isn't that serious I must go right now.

Labrador(exhales): Fine. I don't think Teito-kun is supposed to be alone for too long. You go watch over him, but mind yourself a bit and don't get too freaked out!

Frau(manages a smart smirk): Got it. Thanks Lab.

**Scene II**

Teito(extremely jumpy): Frau! What the hell has kept you! Oi, what the-(Frau crumples into him)- get off me! What happened?

Frau(wheezy): Ooops, I-got run over-by a dozen of bikini beauties when I wanted- to take their pictures.

Teito(pummelling Frau): You stupid moron! It's not like that isn't it! I can tell! You've fought someone and there's all this blood! Who was it?!

Frau(catches Teito's fists in one hand and shoulders him): Stop babbling away like a nanny, damned brat. Even if I had a fight- it's none of your business.

Teito(struggles and continues pummelling): Don't you just shoulder me like I'm a sack of flour! You're wounded! The wounded are not to carry anyone!

Frau(grimaces): Yeah, I am wounded, but you're punching me, you're wounding the wounded.

Teito(startled, blushed, and stops beating): I...I didn't mean it. Let me down. I want to walk on my own.

Frau(lowers Teito to the ground and feels extremely woozy): Walk to your fill, then. I'll have a nap here.(topples over due to the effect of the wars)

Teito(crouches down and seizes Frau by the sleeve): Tell me everything, Frau! I want to help! Does it hurt a lot? Where's your wound exactly?

Frau(wearily): In the depth of my soul; somewhere you cannot presently reach. So stop squawking- and be quiet, brat. That's a favour.

Teito(falls silent, eyes Frau with a worried face and wipes unshed tears): F...Fine. I, I'll stay here and keep the watch.

Frau answered with a fleeting smile before his consciousness slowly dissolved away.

**Scene III**

Hyuuga(swallowing the last lollipop he pockets): Aya-tan, not just a cut on the hand this time?

Ayanami(cannot stand and tends to collapse): …

Hyuuga(frees both hands to support Ayanami): Ooops, terrible, terrible blood loss. You're as cold as a corpse, Aya-tan. Do you still have a heartbeat? Can you hear me?Shall I perform a transfusion? (shakes)

Ayanami(eyes closed and semi-conscious): Don't shake...

Hyuuga(stops shaking Ayanami and stares down at him): Aya-tan, even if you run out of blood, you do not die, do you?

Ayanami(leans on Hyuuga with eyes still closed): Perhaps...I hope so.

Hyuuga(smirks resurfacing, voice dropping to a tender whisper): But still I suppose I've got to keep your head functioning by talking with you or you're likely to faint away. Anyway, Aya-tan, your injuries. Was it Zehel?

Ayanami: ...He used my scythe...

Hyuuga(fingers tighten around Ayanami's uninjured shoulder): Didn't it see you're there? You told me nobody but you can rein it once it recognises you.

Ayanami(opens his eyes and gives a wry smile): I...haven't reattained my full power yet...It will continue to serve Zehel...albeit waveringly.

Hyuuga(shrugs): Such a power-hungry git. And it cut your hand really hard, Aya-tan. When I felt it I thought I got stung by a fat wasp. But I didn't feel the second though. Judging by the look of it I could have cracked apart if I got it.

Ayanami(breathes slowly and tentatively): ...I switched off the connection.

Hyuuga(amazed): How could you, Aya-tan? I didn't feel you clicking at all.

Ayanami: … I did it quietly, before I meant to get him... I knew the scythe would assist him... and turned on me, and on you through me... I had told you, I don't want you involved.

Hyuuga(two times more amazed, smiles broadly): I get it, Aya-tan. You did it to protect me. You don't want me wounded. (encloses Ayanami with both arms) You're really sweet, Aya-tan. Thank you.

Ayanami: …

**END**

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_**Notes:**_

_So a plot bunny has been nudging me in the direction of plotting some appalling stuff...for instance, a blood-soaked and terribly wounded Ayanami(told you I'm weird and evil XD), plus a moderately broken and unusually listless Frau(this dude is relatively tougher, I think:D). _

_Honestly, their eternal grudges against each other really caught me in the first place and I decided to do a multi part project...one for the pre-life(as Zehel and Verloren) presented as 'The One And Only Overlord', and the other for their knotted vessels(as Frau and Ayanami) as this one 'God's Demise'. XD_

_If you're a fan of struggles and grudges then you're a comrade! Enemies can be adorable~ :-)_

_Anyway, thanks for reading and pleeeeeeeease leave your reviews! ~bows~_


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